Motril Firefighters attended the scene in three fire trucks and extinguished the fire, which was no mean feat as they were hampered by high winds which were fanning the flames. Despite the prompt intervention of the fire crews, quite a lot of reeds and bushes went up in flames.

The flames could be seen from many miles away and made for an eerie spectacle when viewed from Salobreña. Thus far, what damage was caused by the fire has not been assessed.

Unfortunately, the figures show that the administration owes around 45 million euros for the said period, reported the Councillor for Finance, Antonio Laborda.

The same accounting team are now working on the period up to 2012, after finally closing the accounts for the 2007-2010 period. The delay in submitting these figures has meant that Almuñécar has had much needed income from State Taxes embargoed to the tune of 1,546,011 euros. Money that would have been very handy recently and the blame for the delay and amount owed has been firmly laid at the door of the previous administration.

Mr. Laborda has stated that the embargoed money has now been freed up and should be with the administration very soon and believes that the funds will increase the frequency of payments to suppliers who are still owed money by the Town Hall.

The objects of these taxes are:
1)    Purchase of resale properties or rights. For example: real estate, second hand vehicles (boats, cars, motorbikes…). The sum to be taxed will be the highest between the one declared in the deeds/contract and the one given by the tax authorities. (The amount used in property transactions is calculated using coefficients of the cadastral value of the estate).
2)    Corporate deeds: company formation, company merger and acquisitions, changes in company capital and company liquidations.
3)    Public deeds and Legal acts, not included in points one and two: the taxable value will be the amount declared in the document.

Transfer Tax in Figures

1 – Real Estate
The transfer tax will be progressive using differential bands. For example the sale of a villa for one million euro, will be charged:
400,000€*8%+300,000€*9%+300,000€*10%=89,000€

For resale properties
Imposable base bracket 0.00€ to 400,000.00€ – Transfer tax rate 8%
Imposable base bracket 400,000.01€ to 700,000.00 – Transfer tax rate 9%
Imposable base bracket 700,000.01 and above – Transfer tax rate 10%
For resale of properties qualified as garages
Imposable base bracket 0.00€ to 30,000.00€ – Transfer tax rate 8%
Imposable base bracket 30,000.01€ to 50,000.00 – Transfer tax rate 9%
Imposable base bracket 50,000.01 and above – Transfer tax rat 10%

For New properties
For new properties there is no transfer tax but VAT of 4% for now.  It is still not clear if VAT will be increased during 2012. New properties are subject to VAT pay also stamp duty (1,20%).

2 – For Vehicles, rights and others.
As a general rule it will be 4%, of the highest value between the declared amount in the contract/deeds and the one given by the tax authorities.
The sum is 8% for: boats of more than 8 meters in length, vehicles of more than 15 fiscal horse power and art objects and antiques.

3 – Transfer of rights: guarantees, pensions, gages, loans and credits
The transfer tax will be set at 1%.

4 – Exceptions
•    For real estate intended for habitual residence with a value below 130,000€ and when the acquirer is under 35 years old: 3.5%.
•    For real estate intended for habitual residence with a value below 180,000€ and when the acquirer is disabled: 3.5%.
•    For real estate intended for resale by a professional or a company responding to the requisites of the General Plan in the real Estate sector (in Spanish “Plan General del Sector Inmobiliario”): 2%. The resale will have to take place within 5 years from the purchase.
Tax on Corporate transactions in figures
In corporate transactions, the tax rate is 1%

Stamp duty in figures
Stamp duty will increase or decrease according to different criteria:
•    1.2% for notary deeds intended for objects accountable in the Property Registry, the Commercial Registry, Industrial Property and Personal Property Registry, and properties subject to VAT.
•    0.3% for the purchase of a habitual residence with a value below 130,000€ and when the acquirer is less than 35 years old.
•    0.3% for a mortgage intended for the purchase of a habitual residence of a value below 130,000€ and when the same person is less than 35 years old.
•    0.1% in the purchase of the habitual residence with a value below 180,000€ and when the acquirer is disabled.
•    0.1% for a mortgage intended for the purchase of a habitual residence with a value below 180,000€ and when the acquirer is disabled.
•    2% in notarial deeds which formalise the transmission of properties where the exemption of VAT is waivered.
It is always recommendable to ask the advice of a Spanish lawyer who will be able to advise you and calculate all taxes prior to the sales-purchase.

A fire broke out on Calle Cruz de Piedra in Granada which had the firemen that tackled the blaze raising cynical eyebrows, because something smelled decidedly fishy, as well as of smoke. The firemen had been called out at five in the afternoon, but when they arrived at the scene of the fire they found the inhabitants of the house, 27-year-old P.L.C and 25-year-old N.R.S. still in the building.

The fire, which was on the second floor, was soon put out by the fire crew. But the fact that the inhabitants were inside instead of out on the street, which is what normally happens, together with the way the fire had occurred had them suspecting foul play straight away.

There doubts were strengthened when the two occupants claimed that they had not left the building because there was 6,000 euros in a wardrobe that they had wanted to rescue – the said wardrobe, by a strange coincidence was completely destroyed by the fire – which was about the only thing that was.

Fire investigators attached to the fire service inspected what was left of the wardrobe and there was no sign no signs of ash that burnt bank notes would produce. Further investigation turned up that the fire had not been caused by a short circuit, as the occupants claimed, but on the contrary the fire had three separate ignition points.

As far as the investigators were concerned the evidence was clear – there had been no bank notes in the wardrobe and the fire had been deliberate, so they handed over their report to the Policía Local as suspected arson.

The house was insured against fire so the owners stood to receive a large pay-out from the insurance company for the loss of property within, as well as damage to the actual building… hence the miraculous 6,000 euros in bank notes, allegedly.

(News: Granada, Andalucia)

The work involves demolishing the central reservation running between the two lanes and asphalting this space over, leaving one very wide, multiple lane road surface. This will allow space for a lane for heavy vehicles coming out of and into the fire-station, for example.

Furthermore, the 300 metres of bicycle lane will be widened, thus avoiding the dangerous junction where the port road and Avenida Julio Moreno join. At this junction there will be a new roundabout built. At a later date, the bicycle lane will link with the Paseo Marítimo.

Finally, the Motril-Playa bus will have a layby installed, as at present it stops to pick up passengers on the roundabout, which is dangerous.

All this is set to commence in about two weeks

(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

APYME considers it a ‘brutal’ increase in the context of the present economical climate, as the increase of 10% is the maximum permitted by legislation that a municipal council can raise the IBI.

The association has qualified this move as a ‘castigation of citizens,’ lamenting that the Council chose to use the maximum increase permissible.

“Not only is the new administration going back on its electoral pledge that they would not increase taxes, but the tax hike is also an authentic punishment. We thus ask the Council to reconsider, choosing instead the minimum increase instead of the maximum one,” said the association’s spokes person.

On the other hand, the Town Hall has announced that numerous families in Almuñécar and La Herradura could received between 40% and 50% off their IBI bill, which in compliance of the governing party’s proposal when they were in the opposition in January 2008.

The Councillor for Social Welfare, Maria del Carmen Reinoso, reminded those interested that they have until the end of February to apply for this allowance.

(News: Almunecar/Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

Alleged, inappropriate (high) speed seems to have been the cause of the accident, which could have been much worse as the bike, a large cylinder machine, plunged on, riderless, at least 200 meters from the central avenue at a time when many people were walking in the area.

(News: Salobrena, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

After several investigations, the Guardia Civil found out tha the vehicle had not been stolen but had suffered an accident and had crashed when the owner at the wheel, allegedly under the influence.

This chap brought the complaint to avoid paying damages to his vehicle and other cars parked on the street. The Civil Guard has taken him to Court under charges of crime simulation.

(News: Salobrena, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucica)

Taramay bridge under construction

With the change of Central Government and a litany of cut backs promised, there is a great deal of concern over the A-7 autovia where it passes through the province of Granada – the only part of this main traffic artery that traverses the whole of the Mediterranean coast of Spain.

Yet while the Granada business sector and residents bite their collective nails, fearing a devastating announcement from Madrid, it is also a time to look back, at the A-7 bridge disaster, as on the 1st of February those considered responsible for the accident will stand trial, at last. More on that later.

At the beginning of February 2011, the then Minister for Public Works (Fomento), Jose Blanco ventured down to Granada and made several promises, one of which was that by June last year the Lobres-Guadafeo would be complete. There mustn’t much cheering when this proved to be accurate, because as it isn’t connected to anything, it still can’t be used.

Of more interest was his promise that by the end of this year, motorists would be able to use the A-7 from Taramay to Carchuna, meaning that the Gorgorach-Puntalón stretch would be finished a put into use. But what is the real state of things at the moment?

Two of the five sections are inactive with a doubtful future awaiting them: the plans for the Carchuna-Castell section are sitting, trembling, on the desk of the Minister for the Environment in Madrid, lacking authorisation until the definitive route is decided – until then, all the heavy machinery is parked up.

As for the Gorgoracha-Puntalón section, which you might remember was set back when excavating machinery struck very unstable rock strata. The re-directing of the road course meant that the budget bloomed out so much that the whole section project had to be re-budgeted and contracted out. This was highly unfortunate because the section was 80% finished when this happened.

Although Isolux Corsan won the contract, worth 39m euros, the definitive adjudication has not been signed – it is hoped that it will be in the coming weeks. Joy upon joy, this means that it has escaped the wrath of Central Government cuts in spending.
The other two sections, one of which is the Taramay-Lobres section, are advancing as planned, even though there was a small rock fall within one of the tunnels on the 20th of December, which has been fixed and the concrete lining of the tunnel is continuing ahead.

The Polopos-Albuñol section is also progressing as planned.

The important thing is, nobody is keener to have the work concluded than the construction companies, because they don’t get paid until they do, under the so-called ‘German Method’ of payment adopted by the Government.

Unfortunately for the property owners, about 80% of the compulsory purchase of land along the route has still not been paid, and the longer it takes, the higher the interest the Government will have to pay, so there is a great deal of concern over this.

The Bridge That Fell
Six workers, five Portuguese and one Gallego, lost there lives at 15.30h on the 7th of November 2005 when the bridge over Río Verde collapsed whilst under constructions – over six years have gone by before somebody has to answer before a judge, which is what will finally happen on the 1st of February. Twelve men stand accused, facing 288 years in prison between them.

Both the Public Prosecutor and the private prosecution filed by the workers unions CCOO & UGT maintain that the six workers did not die because certain bolts became loose, bad soldering or electrical failures, but rather because those that should have been overseeing the safety aspects of the construction work had not done their job properly. Consequently both the combined prosecution bodies are calling for an example to be set when it comes to punishing this incompetence, thus creating a ‘before and an after’ for work-site safety.

We shall be reporting on the public hearing as soon as details are known on our online version of the Seaside Gazette, and in the March, hardcopy issue.

(News: A-7, Costa tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

I would like to inform you of a recent series of burglaries in our urbanisation [in Cotobro, Almuñécar].

On Saturday 14th, between the 3 and 4 o’clock in the morning, the “cacos” (thieves) broke into several houses along c/del Tenis (including my own). In all cases the owners were absent.

It later turned out that the day before a lady living on the same street had noticed a strange man “of darkish complexion” standing on her property in broad daylight, smoking a cigarette and observing the neighbourhood. Quick-minded, she loudly called for her (absent) husband in the house informing him of her observation. Upon which the stranger quickly slipped away. Her house was spared a later visit by the cacos.

The break-ins were discovered by a gardener arriving a few hours later, who called the Guardia Civil. They established that the thugs had apparently only been after money and valuables, easily carried and to be disposed of later. Neither of which was to be found in my own house; they only took along a large screwdriver which was later found, bent and damaged, in the house of another neighbour.

This fellow was not so lucky; they had removed his strong box from the wall and taken it to the disused tennis court at the bottom of c/Principal. They must have used a car for transport. The Guardias found a large farmer’s pick beside the open strong box. The owner of the safe then established that only his collection of valuable watches had been stolen. Papers and documents they had not touched.

(A note: as reported in the Seaside Gazette, at earlier occasions thugs had even entered the bedrooms where the owners were asleep, stealing money, car keys and valuables from the night tables).

They had forced entry into the houses by smashing in doors, thereby destroying the wooden frames holding the lock feeder. In several cases, they had entered through very small windows of laundry cabinets and even a skylight, all unprotected by iron grids. The dexterity needed for the latter suggests that they must have been rather young and fit persons. Once inside, they were checking (and leaving open) all cupboards and drawers, but fortunately without causing more damage or havoc.

The Guardia Civil later sent a specialist to take fingerprints etc. – but no news yet about the cacos being caught. It is believed that – as at earlier occasions in the surroundings (Punta de la Mona being a favourite area) they were an itinerant gang, probably foreigners.

Yesterday, on the morning after our return to Cotobro, and after our first shopping in town, we found a strange car parked in front of our gate: it turned out to be the sales agent of a security company, who told us that neighbours had sent him to us (and others in the area). To judge by the increasing number of their red plates found by house entrances in our urbanisation, they must be doing a good business these days.

Yours Faithfully
Concerned Cotobro Resident